NASHVILLE — After a frenetic few weeks of interviews, the NHL Combine, and anxious moments at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the dust has settled for Colby Barlow.
The former Orillia Terrier and North Central Predator was selected 18th overall by the Winnipeg Jets at the NHL Entry Draft on Wednesday night.
“It’s definitely been anxious and nerve racking,” Barlow told OrilliaMatters on Thursday. “It all kind of flew by and it’s pretty crazy that the draft is done and over with.”
The 18-year-old says the process began last summer, when he started talking to scouts, and it slowly built to the moment he was called to the big stage by the Jets.
“Start to finish, it’s been a lot,” he said. “It’s been a great experience.”
Barlow spent much of his time in Nashville this week with his Owen Sound Attack teammates and took in some live music Tuesday night.
“I’ve been trying to get my mind off things by hanging out with those guys,” he said. “That was good for me.”
Wes Winkel, who helped coach Barlow and the novice A Orillia Terriers to a 2014 Ontario Minor Hockey Association championship, was one of about 80 people from the Orillia area who made the trip to Nashville to support the Owen Sound Attack captain this week.
“We’ve known this had been coming for a long time,” Winkel said. “As I saw his work ethic develop at a young age, it became apparent that he was special.”
Colby’s father, Dean Barlow, says the butterflies were floating around in his stomach when he walked into Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday night.
“There was a lot of sweat,” he said. “I was looking around and thinking about all the hard work and effort Colby had put in and how this has all come together.”
He says the experience of watching his son go through the draft process was “surreal.”
“I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest,” he said. “Sitting down, looking around, and seeing some of my hockey heroes ... left me kind of in awe.”
Barlow said he didn't have an inclination the Jets might select him. He met with them only once leading up to the draft.
“I honestly had no idea where I was going,” he said. “It was all just kind of sitting there and waiting for my name to be called.”
Coming into the draft, many of the rugged winger’s supporters believed he may have been selected ninth by Detroit or 12th by Arizona.
Winkel could sense some nerves among some of Barlow’s family and friends when those teams selected other young players.
“A few times, we expected it was going to happen and then it didn’t happen,” he said. “A little bit of anxiety was starting to build up.”
When the Red Wings passed on Barlow for a second time at the No. 17 slot, Winkel says, everybody was feeling lost as to where he might go.
“They and Arizona put so much pre-draft effort into communicating with Colby and the family through interviews and dinners,” he said. “It just seemed like they had a lot more interest.”
It was puzzling for some of Barlow’s supporters as to why teams that expressed so much interest would pass on him.
“It was a bit surprising, the way they went about it,” he said. “These things happen, but I think there is going to be some regret down the road.”
Barlow’s dad wasn’t worried when his son wasn’t selected in the top 15.
“I truly thought he could go anywhere from six to 25,” he said. “That was the wheelhouse that I had foreseen.”
When the Jets were on the clock, he didn’t expect to hear his son’s name called.
“That wasn’t one of the teams that talked to him a whole lot through the year,” he said. “They scouted him throughout the year, but near the end, when you do your interviews as well, they didn’t really talk to him that much.”
Despite not expecting it to happen, once Barlow’s name was called by the Jets, his dad felt relieved.
“It was happiness and relief,” he said. “I was happy for everybody involved.”
After meeting the Jets’ brass, the family was told the team didn’t meet with Barlow more often because it didn’t expect he would still be available at 18th overall.
The reality of his fate sunk in when he woke up Thursday.
“It was an honour,” Barlow said. “A Canadian boy getting drafted to a Canadian team is super-special and I’m really thankful for this opportunity.”
Seeing the six-foot-tall teen in a Jets jersey was extra special for Winkel, who grew up a fan of the team.
“I named my son Jhett, for crying out loud,” he said. “It’s pretty near and dear to my heart and it’s a unique opportunity because it’s a city where hockey matters.”
Barlow will head home this weekend to get his equipment and will then fly to Winnipeg on Monday to attend the team’s development camp.
“I’ve never been to Winnipeg before,” he said. “I don’t know a whole lot about the city, but it’s obviously a Canadian culture there and their fans are great. It will be a great market to play in.”
A small-town kid from Orillia who went on to play in one of the OHL’s smallest markets, in Owen Sound, will now likely play in one of the smallest markets in the NHL.
“It’s kind of been the pattern my entire career,” he said.
His dad didn’t know a lot about the Jets organization until Barlow was selected Wednesday.
“Meeting with the owner and some of the other people within the organization, we learned that they are beautiful people,” he said. “They are down to earth, there is a hometown feeling already, and it feels really similar to Owen Sound.”
Jets management told the family Barlow was drafted, in part, due to his character.
“They love the leadership qualities he brings to the table,” his dad said. “They love his work ethic, his hard-nosed style of game, and he can play at both ends of the rink, which is important to them.”
Barlow is “honestly relieved” the draft is now in the past.
“It’s been stressful, not just for me, but for family and friends and everybody who’s been with me through the entire process,” he said.
“There was a lot of stress and overthinking,” his dad added. “There were a lot of opinions and unknowns. It’s just really nice to know where he’s going and it’s amazing to know he’s going to a great organization.”
This story was made possible through a sponsorship by Roy Micks of Team Micks.
